Divian Ladwa

Last updated

Divian Ladwa
NationalityBritish
OccupationActor
Years active2007–present

Divian Ladwa is an English actor best known for appearing in the Oscar-nominated Lion , the BAFTA-winning comedy series Detectorists , and the Marvel Studios film Ant-Man and the Wasp .

Contents

Career

TV and film

Divian Ladwa's film debut came in a micro-budget feature Saxon , in which he played a hot-headed Rahim Begum alongside Sean Harris. The film won Best European Drama at the ECU European Independent Film Festival and was nominated for the Michael Powell Award for Best Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival. [1] [2]

His next role was shy and awkward Dev King in the British feature film 8 Minutes Idle . [3] [4] The twisted rom-com was nominated for Best Film at the Royal Television Society Awards [5] and features Tom Hughes, Ophelia Lovibond, Antonia Thomas, Montserrat Lombard and Jack Ashton. [6]

Ladwa is known for playing the sweet and innocent Hugh in the BAFTA-winning [7] comedy series Detectorists [8] written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Originally aired on BBC Four, the show won critical praise and won two BAFTAs. [9]

In 2017, Ladwa received attention for playing a psychologically traumatised character in the Oscar-nominated [10] Lion . The film starred Nicole Kidman and David Wenham as his adoptive parents and Dev Patel as his adoptive brother. The double BAFTA-winning film, [11] which also starred Rooney Mara, was nominated for four Golden Globes and six Academy Awards including Best Picture. [12] Critics praised Ladwa's performance, with Cinapse writing "Lion is aided greatly by the likes of Divian Ladwa who is positively heartbreaking," . [13] Stuff wrote "Ladwa is excellent as the wayward brother." [14] and Entertainment.ie said "Ladwa gives a fascinating portrayal of the adopted brother." [15] Along with Dev Patel and David Wenham, Ladwa was included in the film's submission to the Screen Actors Guild Awards for their Best Supporting Actor category. [16]

In 2018, he appeared in Ant-Man and the Wasp as Uzman, the right-hand man of antagonist Sonny Burch. [17]

Later that year ITV announced Ladwa's involvement as a series regular in their upcoming police drama Wild Bill , playing opposite Rob Lowe, Rachel Stirling, Angela Griffin and Bronwyn James. [18]

In 2019, Ladwa appeared in the British dark comedy series The End of the F***ing World as Sid, a talkative cop. He made a special guest appearance in episode 7 of the second series. The series premiered on Channel 4 in the UK and internationally the following day on Netflix. Netflix submitted Ladwa for consideration for the Primetime Emmy Awards as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series category for his portrayal of Sid. [19]   [20]

2019 saw the online release of period drama Mr Malcolm's List on the Refinery29 website, with Ladwa playing Gemma Chan and Frieda Pinto's footman John in a highly comical role. [21] The film is part of Refinery29's Shatterbox series aiding and encouraging more female filmmakers. [22] Following the success of the short, Mr Malcolm's List was made into a feature with Ladwa reprising his role as John. The film was released in 2022 to positive reviews and received a nomination for Best Independent Motion Picture by the NAACP Image Awards. [23] The Hollywood Reporter, Associated Press [24] [25] highlighted Ladwa's "amusing" performance with one review stating "Divian Ladwa from Lion steals any scene he's in". [26]

In 2020, Ladwa played Dr Chillip in Armando Iannucci's adaptation of Charles Dickens The Personal History of David Copperfield , which also stars Hugh Laurie and Tilda Swinton and reunites Ladwa onscreen with Dev Patel. [27]

Stage

Away from TV and Film, Ladwa has an extensive theatre background, working with a wide range of companies including Theatre Royal Stratford East, Tamasha Theatre Company and Fluxx Improvised Theatre, early in his career. [28]

Radio

Ladwa has worked in numerous radio plays, mostly for BBC Radio 4, many of which have been recognised by various accolades. Six-part BBC drama The System, in wbich Ladwa plays Coyote, won the PRIX EUROPA for Best Fiction Series. [29] .Audible's Radioman, a ten-part audio drama series in which Ladwa appears as Manny, received a Rose D'or Award nomination for best drama. [30] Ladwa has also played secondary-school student Charlie in School Drama [31] [32] and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet [33] opposite Tom Hollander. He also played Vince the Mushroom Man in a continuation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere series, How The Marquis Got His Coat Back. [34] [35]

Filmography

Television roles
YearTitleRoleNotes
2014–2017 Detectorists HughMain cast
2015 You, Me and the Apocalypse Jamie's SolicitorMiniseries; Episode: "Who Are These People?"
2017Jade DragonRichardMain cast; Web series
2018In The Long RunHiten
2018 Zapped Mark
2019 Wild Bill PC DrakesMain cast
2019 The End of the F***ing World SidSpecial Guest Star
2020 Avenue 5 Pete
2020 Miracle Workers (2019 TV series) Mr Shoemaker
2021 Silent Witness Leon ToveySeries 24 Part 1 & 2
2021Two Doors DownIqbal
2022The BabyFooze
2022Slow HorsesSimon NairSeries 2
2022DetectoristsHughfeature length special
2023A Gentleman in MoscowYaroslav
Film roles
YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 Saxon RahimBest Drama - ECU Festival
20128 Minutes IdleDevBBC Films
2013FrayedHabbiShort film
2013PunchlineTiny TimShort film
2014My DadVoiceBAFTA nominee for animation
2016 Lion Mantosh BrierleyOscar nominee for Best Picture
2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp UzmanMarvel Studios
2019NapthaFarazFilm4
2019 The Personal History of David Copperfield Dr ChillipBIFA nominee for Best Film
2019The ToolRupeshTV movie
2022 Mr. Malcolm's List JohnNAACP nominee for Best Film
2022And MrsDr. Fasli

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Palin</span> English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter

Sir Michael Edward Palin is an English actor, comedian, writer, and television presenter. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. He received the BAFTA Fellowship in 2013 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mackenzie Crook</span> British actor

Mackenzie Crook is an English actor, comedian, director and writer. He played Gareth Keenan in The Office, Ragetti in the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Orell in the HBO series Game of Thrones, and the title role of Worzel Gummidge. He is also the creator and star of BBC Four's Detectorists (2014–2022), for which he won two BAFTA awards. He also plays major roles in TV series Britannia, as the opposite leading druids Veran and Harka.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Colman</span> English actress (born 1974)

Sarah Caroline Sinclair, known professionally as Olivia Colman, is an English actress and comedian. Known for her work in film and television, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, two Emmy Awards, three British Academy Television Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toby Jones</span> British actor (born 1966)

Toby Edward Heslewood Jones is an English actor. He is known for his extensive character actor roles on stage and screen. From 1989 to 1991, Jones trained at L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. He made his stage debut in 2001 in the comedy play The Play What I Wrote, which played in the West End and on Broadway, earning him a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In 2020, he was nominated for his second Olivier Award, for Best Actor for his performance in a revival of Anton Chekov's Uncle Vanya.

Darren John Boyd is a British actor who starred in the Sky 1 series Spy, for which he won a BAFTA Award. His work in television and film spans comedy and drama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesse Armstrong</span> British screenwriter (born 1970)

Jesse David Armstrong is a British screenwriter and producer. He is a co-creator of the Channel 4 comedy series Peep Show (2003–2015) and Fresh Meat (2011–2016), and the creator of the HBO satirical drama series Succession (2018–2023).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Capaldi</span> Scottish actor

Peter Dougan Capaldi is a Scottish actor and director. He portrayed the twelfth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who (2013–2017) and Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It (2005–2012), for which he received four British Academy Television Award nominations, winning Best Male Comedy Performance in 2010. When he reprised the role of Tucker in the feature film In the Loop, Capaldi was honoured with several film critic award nominations for Best Supporting Actor.

Justin Matthew Edwards is an English actor and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Kaluuya</span> British actor (born 1989)

Daniel Kaluuya is a British actor. Prominent both on screen and stage, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Golden Globe Award. In 2021, he was named among the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dev Patel</span> British actor (born 1990)

Dev Patel is a British actor. He began his career playing Anwar Kharral in the E4 teen drama Skins (2007). His breakthrough came with the leading role of Jamal Malik in Danny Boyle's drama Slumdog Millionaire (2008), for which Patel was nominated for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actor.

Aimee-Ffion Edwards is a Welsh actress and singer. She is known for playing Sketch in Skins, Esme Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Sophie in Detectorists and Abi in Loaded. She also had a starring voice role as Mio in the English dub of Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

Monica Margaret Dolan is an English actress. She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Rosemary West in Appropriate Adult (2011).

Adeel Akhtar is a British actor. In 2017, he won the British Academy Television Award for Best Actor for his role in Murdered by My Father. He was also nominated for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor for his role on Channel 4's Utopia, as well as a British Academy Film Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ali & Ava. Akhtar received critical acclaim for his performance in BBC One's Sherwood, receiving the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">See-Saw Films</span> British-Australian film and television production company

See-Saw Films is a British-Australian film and television production company founded in 2008 by Iain Canning and Emile Sherman, with offices in London and Sydney. Their productions include The King's Speech, Top Of The Lake, Lion, The Power of the Dog, Slow Horses and the British teen series Heartstopper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iain Canning</span> English film producer

Iain Canning is an English film and television producer best known for producing the film The King's Speech (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for executive producing television series Top of the Lake, which was nominated for an Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award. He has been nominated for 3 Academy Awards and won 1, nominated for 5 BAFTAs and won 3, and nominated for 2 Emmy Awards and won 1.

<i>Detectorists</i> British television series

Detectorists is a British comedy television series first broadcast on BBC Four in October 2014. It is written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, who also stars alongside Toby Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emile Sherman</span> Australian film producer

Emile Sherman is an Australian film and television producer best known for producing the film The King's Speech (2010), for which he won an Academy Award for Best Picture and the BAFTA award for Best Film and Best British Film, and for executive producing television series Top of the Lake, which was nominated for an Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe award. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won one; nominated for five BAFTAs and won three, and nominated for two Emmy Awards and won one.

Kevin Loader is a British film and television producer. Since 1996, he and co-owner Roger Michell have run a London-based production company, Free Range Films, through which the pair have made several feature films directed by Michell, including The Mother, Enduring Love, Venus, Hyde Park on Hudson, and Le Week-end. Their most recent film is an adaptation by Michell of Daphne Du Maurier's My Cousin Rachel. The company is also developing and producing film and television projects with other directors. Loader was awarded the Bafta for Best Television Serial in 2015 for The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies.

<i>Lion</i> (2016 film) 2016 biographical drama film by Garth Davis

Lion is a 2016 Australian biographical drama film directed by Garth Davis from a screenplay by Luke Davies based on the 2013 non-fiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley. The film stars Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Rooney Mara, David Wenham, and Nicole Kidman, as well as Abhishek Bharate, Divian Ladwa, Priyanka Bose, Deepti Naval, Tannishtha Chatterjee, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui. It tells the true story of how Brierley, 25 years after being separated from his family in India, sets out to find them. It is a joint production between Australia and the United Kingdom.

References

  1. "Saxon". Elise Valmorbida. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  2. "Awards". Saxon the Film. Archived from the original on 29 September 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  3. "8 Minutes Idle". British Films Directory. 13 March 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  4. "8 Minutes Idle Cast Gallery". BBC Films . Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  5. "RTS West of England Awards 2013". 8 April 2016.
  6. Lloyd, Kenji (14 February 2014). "Exclusive Clip from 8 Minutes Idle with Tom Hughes, Ophelia Lovibond & Antonia Thomas". Hey U Guys. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  7. "Television: Scripted Comedy in 2015". BAFTA . Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  8. "Detectorists Characters". British Comedy Guide . Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  9. "Writer - Comedy in 2015". BAFTA. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  10. "Best Picture Nominee: Lion". The Oscars. Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  11. Saunders, Tristram Fane (12 February 2017). "Bafta winners 2017, full list". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  12. "Oscar Nominees 2017". The Oscars. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  13. "LION's Roar is Quietly Powerful". 10 January 2017.
  14. "Movie review: Lion is a tale of raw emotion". 14 January 2017.
  15. "Lion - Cinema, Movie, Film Review". 7 December 2016.
  16. "SAG-AFTRA - Fall 2016".
  17. "Divian Ladwa In Ant-Man And The Wasp". Hatch Talent. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  18. "Internationally renowned actor, Rob Lowe, has commenced filming in the UK on new ITV drama Wild Bill". ITV. 8 November 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  19. "Emmys 2020 exclusive: Netflix categories for 'The Crown,' 'Ozark,' Stranger Things' and more". July 2020.
  20. "Netflix Awards FYC - Series".
  21. "Mr Malcolm's List". Refinery29. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  22. "Emma Holly Jones – "Mr. Malcolm's List"". Free the Bid. 25 February 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  23. "2023 NAACP Image Awards nominations show love for 'Wakanda Forever,' 'Abbott,' Beyoncé". Los Angeles Times. 12 January 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  24. Gyarkye, Lovia (22 June 2022). "'Mr. Malcolm's List': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  25. "Review: Austen-era schemes, dreams fill 'Mr. Malcolm's List'". AP NEWS. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  26. Potter, Alexis. "Here's why fans of period rom-com movies should put 'Mr. Malcolm's List' on their list". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
  27. "The Personal History of David Copperfield: Full Cast and Crew". IMDb. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  28. Williams, Karla (5 June 2009). "ATN Interview with Divan Ladwa". Afridiziak Theatre News. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  29. "Prix Europa Award". Prix Europa. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  30. "Rose D'or Award". Rosedor. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  31. "School Drama". BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  32. "School Drama 18th-21st May 2016, BBC Radio 4". Goldhawk Productions. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  33. "Romeo And Juliet". BBC Radio 4. 17 March 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  34. "How The Marquis Got His Coat Back". BBC Radio 4. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2019.
  35. "How the Marquis Got His Coat Back". Radio Times . Retrieved 13 August 2019.

Sources